Employment Categories

Amended date: 12/01/2018

Tufts employs regular staff, contractors and others in full – and part-time arrangements, which impact eligibility for paid time off and health/wellness benefits. This policy is created for the purposes of defining the general standard for full-time and part-time employment, as well when those employees are benefits-eligibility guidelines. See definitions below.

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Regular Full-Time: Employees who regularly work thirty-five (35) or more hours per week. Regular full-time employees are eligible for University benefits.

Regular Part-Time: Employees who are regularly scheduled to work fewer than  thirty-five (35) hours per week. Regular part-time employees who are scheduled to work more than 17.5 hours per week are eligible for full university benefits.

Employee moving from benefits eligible to non-benefits eligible status: Employees who move from benefits eligible to non-benefits-eligible status are no longer eligible for University benefits. At the time of the status change, the employee will be paid out all accrued but unused vacation time and may carry over up to (forty) 40 hours of unused earned paid sick time. All other accrued sick time and personal time balances will be zeroed out as they cannot be carried over to a non-benefits eligible position. Any employee who is moving or thinking of moving to a non-benefits eligible position, should meet with their Human Resources Business Partner for further clarification prior to the change in jobs.

Academic Year Employees: These employees may work full or part-time, but only during the months of the academic year (usually September through May). Benefits for these employees may be pro-rated.

Temporary Employees: Under certain circumstances, a manager may find it necessary to request temporary help for a specific period of time. Temporary workers are hired directly by a University department or through an outside agency and typically are not eligible for Tufts University benefits unless they work a minimum number of hours in a twelve month period as is outlined by these policies.

Consultants: These outside vendors are independent contractors, not employees, and are not eligible to receive University benefits. The relationship to the university is by contractual agreement.

Definitions:  

Staff: any benefits-eligible employee who has standard hours of 17.5 hours/week or more and is not otherwise covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Postdoctoral scholars’ work hours and guidelines are outlined in the postdoc handbook. Faculty should refer to the by-laws of their primary school affiliation for guidance.

Related Links and Resources:

Postdoctoral Scholars Handbook

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This Employment Categories Statement is part of the HR Employee Policies and Procedures that can be found here.

Disclaimer: Changes to this policy and the handbook in which it is maintained may be made at any time, at the sole discretion of the University and is not a contract. Employment by the University is at will and either the employee or the University may end the employment relationship at any time.